Nonprofit Helping Families Of Local Troops Killed In War

January 24, 2004|By STEPHANIE HEINATZ Daily Press

Early last year, as thousands of service members started pouring into the Middle East for the impending war in Iraq, Hampton business owner Dennis Smith started encouraging the community to support the troops.

"Then somebody asked us what we were actually doing to support the troops," Smith said about himself and his business partners, Robin Smith, his wife, and Brad Friedman. "When we didn't have a good answer, we decided it was time to step up to the plate."

That's when they formed the Fallen Troops Foundation -- a nonprofit organization that raises money, through various fund-raisers and private donations, to aid the immediate families of Virginians who have been killed in action supporting the war with Iraq and operations in Afghanistan.

About 600 coalition troops have died in the war in Iraq. More than 500 of them were Americans and 12 were from Virginia.

Typically, in addition to life insurance, military families receive a death gratuity of roughly $12,000; reimbursement of up to $6,900 for burial expenses; the service member's unpaid pay and allowances; Social Security benefits; a monthly check for the surviving spouse until remarriage; and surviving children until they reach a certain age.

But there's always more you can do, Smith said.

The foundation's goal is to raise $50,000 for each family.

To kick start the fund raising, the trio each donated roughly $18,000 of their own money to pay for start-up administrative expenses, the federal application fees to receive nonprofit status and to purchase a Hummer H2 for their first raffle.

"We chose a Hummer to raffle because of its military background," Smith said. "But it's far from your Uncle Sam's truck."

Because you have to be an established nonprofit organization for a minimum of three years before you can host your first raffle, the foundation has partnered with the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 392 to sell the $20 tickets.

"We started selling them last week," Smith said. "And we've already sold about 300. We're only selling 6,500 tickets."

The drawing will be held as soon as the last ticket is bought, but no later than Sept. 11.

If fewer than 2,500 tickets are sold, the fund-raiser will turn into a 50/50 raffle and the Hummer will be sold to put the money back into the foundation.

No one thinks it'll come to that because, Friedman said, "You're not investing to win a Hummer. You're supporting our troops."

If every ticket is sold, the foundation will net $70,000, Smith said.

Friedman realized just how important the foundation was earlier this year when he took his son to the Korean War Memorial in Washington.

"My son saw a plaque that read 'Freedom is not free' and asked what that meant," Friedman said. "It's hard to explain to a 9-year-old, who associates free with money, that fallen troops and their families don't pay a monetary price. Families of fallen troops pay an emotional price, a family price, a relationship price. It took him a little while to understand that there is more to these war situations than just sending troops off with big guns."

Want to help? Visit www.fallentroops.com to buy a raffle ticket, make a donation or to find out how to become a corporate sponsor.

Family member of a fallen troop? Visit the Web site to download the grant application or contact the foundation at 224-0418.

FALLEN TROOPS

About 600 coalition troops have died in the war in Iraq, more than 500 of them Americans.